Control of a process for the purification of (meth)acrylic acid using on-line, near ir analysis

ABSTRACT

An improved process for the manufacture of technical grade (meth)acrylic acid, e.g., acrylic acid, the process comprising producing a hydrated reaction product from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor, e.g., propylene, followed by first dehydrating and then concentrating the reaction product, the improvement comprising controlling at least one of the water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylic acid content of the reaction product during the purification of the reaction product using on-line, near IR spectroscopy.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Application61/101,743 filed Oct. 1, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the manufacture of (meth)acrylic acid. In oneaspect, the invention relates to the manufacture of (meth)acrylic acidin which (meth)acrylic acid is recovered and water and acetic acid isremoved using a coupled, two tower purification system, while in anotheraspect, the invention relates to controlling the operation of the systemby monitoring the water, acetic acid and/or (meth)acrylic acid contentof the system. In still another aspect, the invention relates tomonitoring these contents by using on-line, near infrared (IR)spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(Meth)acrylic acid and the commodity acrylate esters (methyl, ethyl,butyl, and 2-ethylhexyl) comprise one of the most versatile monomerseries for controlling polymer performance characteristics. Thesemonomers all have an alpha b eta (α,β) unsaturated carboxyl structureand find extensive applications in surface coatings, adhesives andplastics. Furthermore, the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid is widelyused as the superabsorbent polymer found in baby diapers. Worldproduction capacity for just crude acrylic acid is almost eight billionpounds per year.

The term “(meth)” indicates that the methyl substituted compound isincluded in the term. For example, the term (meth)acrylic acidrepresents acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, individually andcollectively. While the process of the present invention can be employedin the production of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, for the sake ofsimplicity the following description will refer to acrylic acid.

Currently, most, if not all, acrylic acid is produced commercially usinga high temperature, two-stage air oxidation of propylene process. In thefirst stage propylene is oxidized with air to acrolein and then feddirectly to the second stage in which the acrolein is further oxidizedwith air to acrylic acid. The catalyst used in each stage is a mixedmetal oxide.

Acrylic acid is recovered from the product stream of the second stagereactor in a separation system. Various separation system designs exist.One such system comprises a quench tower coupled to an extractor whichin turn is coupled to a series of distillation towers. The hot gases,e.g., gases at a temperature in excess of 230° C., exiting the secondstage reactor are sent to the quench tower in which they are contactedwith water. The hot gas condensibles, e.g., water, acetic acid, acrylicacid, etc., are separated from the hot gas non-condensibles, e.g.,nitrogen, carbon oxides, etc. The off gases are sent to an incineratorand the cooled (e.g., a temperature of less than 230° C.) residue,liquid is sent to an extractor to remove the water. The extractor usesan organic solvent to extract the acrylic acid. The aqueous phase fromthe extractor is sent to a column in which residual solvent isazeotropically removed for recycle. The organic phase from the extractoris sent to the series of distillation towers from which crude acrylicacid is recovered.

As effective as these separation systems are, all are relativelyexpensive to build and operate, and all comprise a series ofdistillation columns that add to the complexity of their operation. Eachtower requires the addition of fresh polymerization inhibitor at the topof the tower to prevent polymer fouling. The inhibitor is very expensiveand adds to the production cost of acrylic acid.

In an effort to reduce costs and simplify operations, new separationsystems have been proposed one of which is a coupled, two-tower system,i.e., a first or dehydration tower coupled to a second or finishingtower. The dehydration tower is equipped with a partial condenser whichacts as a rectification system. The second or finishing tower isequipped with a reboiler and a total condenser, and it stripslow-boiling and high-boiling impurities from acrylic acid product whichis ultimately recovered as a side-draw.

Cooled (230° C. or less) gaseous reaction product from the second stagereactor is fed into a quench zone which can be located either within orwithout the dehydration tower (if located within the tower, then it islocated in or near the base of the tower). Condensate from the finishingtower is used to quench the reaction gas into a concentrated acrylicacid solution. Vapor from the quench zone ascends into the dehydrationtower. Acrylic acid is scrubbed out of this stream by the refluxdescending from the top to minimize acrylic acid loss to the vent gas.Reaction water, acetic acid, light compounds and non-condensable gas areremoved from the top of the tower some of which is recycled to thereactors and the remainder of which is purged to a thermal incinerator.

The bottom liquid stream from the dehydration tower is 70-100 wt %acrylic acid, 0-15 wt % water and 0-15 wt % acetic acid, and it is feddirectly to the top or overhead of the finishing tower in which it isused as reflux. The finishing tower is operated under vacuum to preventundesired polymerization of acrylic acid due to the relatively high (40°C. or greater) operating temperature of the tower. The overhead vapor iscondensed and collected into a receiver, and the condensate is pumpedand sprayed into the quench zone of the dehydration tower. Crude ortechnical grade (99+ wt %) acrylic acid is recovered as a vaporside-draw.

To obtain technical grade acrylic acid from the two-tower separationsystem described above, the water content of the tails stream from thedehydration tower should be between 1 and 15, preferably between 1 and10 and more preferably between 3 and 5, wt %. If this water content isallowed to fall below 3 wt %, then the amount of acrylic acid loss inthe overhead of the dehydrator is increased. If this water content isallowed to rise above 15 wt %, then the energy required to maintainreflux in the dehydrator is increased. Accordingly, tight control ofthis water content is important to the overall efficiency of theoperation and to prevent undesirable polymerization and fouling of theequipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the invention is a method for controlling theoperation of a first distillation tower that is part of a coupled,two-tower system for the purification of (meth)acrylic acid, the methodcomprising the steps of:

-   -   A. Creating an electronic signal from an on-line, near infrared        (IR) spectrometer, the signal based on at least one of the        water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylic acid content of at least        one of (i) a tails stream from the base of the first        distillation tower, (ii) a condensed lights stream from a        condenser coupled to and which receives an overhead stream from        the first distillation tower, and (iii) an overhead stream from        a second distillation tower that is coupled to and receives the        tails stream from the first distillation tower;    -   B. Sending the electronic signal created in (A) to a means for        controlling the operating temperature of the condenser that is        coupled to the first distillation tower; and    -   C. Increasing, decreasing or maintaining the operating        temperature of the condenser based on the signal created in (A).        The means for controlling the operating temperature of the        condenser is typically a microprocessor or similar device that        receives the signal from the near IR spectrometer and, in turn,        maintains or changes the operation of the device or devices that        are responsible for the temperature control of the condenser.        If, for example, the condenser is a shell-tube condenser and its        operating temperature is a function of the rate of flow of        cooling water through its shell, then the microprocessor or        similar device can initiate a change to the rate of the flow of        water through the shell to effect a change in the operating        temperature (an increase in the rate of flow means a lower        operating temperature and a decrease in the rate of flow means a        higher operating temperature). If the signal created in (A)        reports a water content that is less than a pre-determined        setpoint, e.g., 4 wt % in the tails stream, then the operating        temperature of the condenser is decreased, e.g., the flow of        cooling water through the shell is increased. If the signal        created in (A) reports a water content that is greater than the        pre-determined setpoint, then the operating temperature of the        condenser is increased, e.g., the flow of cooling water through        the shells is decreased.

The water content of the tails stream from the base of the firstdistillation tower and the overhead stream from the second distillationtower are controlled such that they are in a range of 1 to 15,preferably in a range of 1 to 10 and more preferably in a range of 3-5,wt % based upon the total weight of the stream. The water content of thecondensed lights stream from the condenser is controlled such that it isin a range of 80-95, preferably in a range of 80-90 and more preferablyin a range of 82-90, wt % based upon the total weight of the stream.

The acetic acid content of the tails stream from the base of the firstdistillation tower and the overhead stream from the second distillationtower are controlled such that they are in a range of 1 to 20,preferably in a range of 1 to 15 and more preferably in a range of 1-10,wt % based upon the total weight of the stream. The acetic acid contentof the condensed lights stream from the condenser is controlled suchthat it is in a range of 4-15, preferably in a range of 6-13 and morepreferably in a range of 8-12, wt % based upon the total weight of thestream.

The (meth)acrylic acid content of the tails stream from the base of thefirst distillation tower and the overhead stream from the seconddistillation tower are controlled such that they are in a range of 70 to100, preferably in a range of 75 to 100 and more preferably in a rangeof 80-100 wt % based upon the total weight of the stream. The(meth)acrylic acid content of the condensed lights stream from thecondenser is controlled such that it is in a range of 1-10, preferablyin a range of 1-8 and more preferably in a range of 3-7, wt % based uponthe total weight of the stream.

In one embodiment the invention is a process of producing technicalgrade (meth)acrylic acid from a hydrated, gaseous reaction productobtained from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acidprecursor, the process comprising the steps of:

-   -   A. Cooling the gaseous reaction product;    -   B. Dehydrating the cooled gaseous reaction product in a first        distillation tower to produce a gaseous overhead stream and a        liquid tails stream;    -   C. At least partially condensing the gaseous overhead stream in        a condenser having an operating temperature to form a        condensate, and returning at least a portion of the condensate        to the first distillation tower;    -   D. Creating an electronic signal from an on-line, near infrared        (IR) spectrometer, the signal based on at least one of the        water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylic acid content of at least        one of (i) a tails stream from the base of the first        distillation tower, (ii) a condensed lights stream from a        condenser coupled to and which receives an overhead stream from        the first distillation tower, and (iii) an overhead stream from        a second distillation tower that is coupled to and receives the        tails stream from the first distillation tower;    -   E. Sending the electronic signal created in (D) to a means for        controlling the operating temperature of the condenser that is        coupled to and receives the overhead stream from the first        distillation tower; and    -   F. Increasing, decreasing or maintaining the operating        temperature of the condenser based on the signal created in (D).        In one embodiment, the gaseous reaction product is a product of        a two-stage reaction system in which (meth)acrolein is produced        from propylene and/or isobutylene and molecular oxygen, e.g.,        oxygen, oxygen-enriched air or simply air, in the first stage        and (meth)acrolein is oxidized to (meth)acrylic acid in the        second stage. In one embodiment, the water content of the        dehydration tower tails stream is maintained by adjusting the        operating temperature of the condenser that is coupled to and        receives an overhead stream from the dehydration tower, a higher        temperature to keep the water content from exceeding 15,        preferably from exceeding 10 and more preferably from exceeding        5, wt %, and a lower temperature to keep the water content at        greater than 1, preferably greater than 3, wt %.

In one embodiment the invention is an improved process for themanufacture of technical grade (meth)acrylic acid, the processcomprising producing a reaction product from the gas-phase oxidation ofat least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor followed by first dehydratingthe reaction product and then concentrating the reaction product in afinishing zone, the reaction product comprising water, acetic acid and(meth)acrylic acid, the improvement comprising the steps of:

-   -   A. Creating an electronic signal from an on-line, near infrared        (IR) spectrometer, the signal based on at least one of the        water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylic acid content of at least        one of (i) a tails stream from the base of the first        distillation tower, (ii) a condensed lights stream from a        condenser coupled to and which receives an overhead stream from        the first distillation tower, and (iii) an overhead stream from        a second distillation tower that is coupled to and receives the        tails stream from the first distillation tower;    -   B. Sending the electronic signal created in (A) to a means for        controlling the operating temperature of the condenser that is        coupled to the first distillation tower; and    -   C. Increasing, decreasing or maintaining the operating        temperature of the condenser based on the signal created in (A).        The means for controlling the operating temperature of the        condenser is typically a microprocessor or similar device that        receives the signal from the near IR spectrometer and, in turn,        maintains or changes the operation of the device or devices that        are responsible for the temperature control of the condenser as        previously described. The condensed product from the        condensation zone is returned to a zone in which the hydrated        reaction product is dehydrated.

In one embodiment the invention is a coupled, two-tower system for thedehydration of a reaction product obtained from the gas-phase oxidationof at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor, the system comprising (A)a first distillation tower equipped with a base and top, (B) a condensercoupled to and in open communication with the top of the dehydrationtower, the condenser equipped with means for controlling its operatingtemperature, (C) a second distillation tower equipped with a top, (D)means for transferring dehydrated reaction product from the base of thedehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower, e.g., a pipe, and(E) a near IR spectrometer comprising a probe or flow cell positioned onor within the means for transferring dehydrated product from the base ofthe dehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower. The probe islocated within the pipe connecting the dehydration and finishing towerssuch that that dehydrated reaction product will interact with the probeto generate an electronic signal by the spectrometer that can betransmitted to the means for controlling the operating temperature ofthe condenser, e.g., a microprocessor that controls the flow rate ofcooling water through the condenser. The probe is connected by anyconvenient means, e.g., fiber optics, to the spectrometer, e.g., aGuided Wave Lab 412 Laboratory Fiber Optic Spectrophotometer, which istypically located apart from the towers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic process flow sheet showing a configuration inwhich quenching (i.e., cooling) of a reaction product obtained from thegas-phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor isconducted primarily in the dehydration column.

FIG. 2 is a schematic process flow sheet showing a configuration inwhich the quenching of the reaction product obtained from the gas-phaseoxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor is conductedprimarily in a vessel located apart from the dehydration column.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic process flow sheets showing variations ofthe process shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic process flow sheet showing a configuration inwhich at least a portion of the tails stream from the dehydration towerare passed through a surge tank before entering the finishing tower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

All references to the Periodic Table of the Elements refer to thePeriodic Table of the Elements published and copyrighted by CRC Press,Inc., 2003. Also, any references to a Group or Groups shall be to theGroup or Groups reflected in this Periodic Table of the Elements usingthe IUPAC system for numbering groups. Unless stated to the contrary,implicit from the context, or customary in the art, all parts andpercents are based on weight and all test methods are current as of thefiling date of this disclosure. For purposes of United States patentpractice, the contents of any referenced patent, patent application orpublication are incorporated by reference in their entirety (or itsequivalent US version is so incorporated by reference) especially withrespect to the disclosure of synthetic techniques, definitions (to theextent not inconsistent with any definitions specifically provided inthis disclosure), and general knowledge in the art.

The numerical ranges in this disclosure are approximate, and thus mayinclude values outside of the range unless otherwise indicated.Numerical ranges include all values from and including the lower and theupper values, in increments of one unit, provided that there is aseparation of at least two units between any lower value and any highervalue. As an example, if a compositional, physical or other property,such as, for example, temperature, etc., is from 100 to 1,000, then theintent is that all individual values, such as 100, 101, 102, etc., andsub ranges, such as 100 to 144, 155 to 170, 197 to 200, etc., areexpressly enumerated. For ranges containing values which are less thanone or containing fractional numbers greater than one (e.g., 1.1, 1.5,etc.), one unit is considered to be 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01 or 0.1, asappropriate. For ranges containing single digit numbers less than ten(e.g., 1 to 5), one unit is typically considered to be 0.1. These areonly examples of what is specifically intended, and all possiblecombinations of numerical values between the lowest value and thehighest value enumerated, are to be considered to be expressly stated inthis disclosure. Numerical ranges are provided within this disclosurefor, among other things, the amount of water in the dehydrated reactionproduct, temperature and other process parameters.

The term “comprising” and its derivatives are not intended to excludethe presence of any additional component, step or procedure, whether ornot the same is specifically disclosed. In order to avoid any doubt, allcompositions claimed through use of the term “comprising” may includeany additional additive, adjuvant, or compound whether polymeric orotherwise, unless stated to the contrary. In contrast, the term,“consisting essentially of” excludes from the scope of any succeedingrecitation any other component, step or procedure, excepting those thatare not essential to operability. The term “consisting of” excludes anycomponent, step or procedure not specifically delineated or listed. Theterm “or”, unless stated otherwise, refers to the listed membersindividually as well as in any combination.

“Technical grade acrylic acid” and like terms refers to a reactionproduct, typically after undergoing at least some purification, thatcontains at least 98.5% acrylic acid by weight, preferably contains atleast 99 wt % acrylic acid, and more preferably at least 99.5 wt %acrylic acid. Furthermore, the reaction product contains less than 0.5wt % water and less than 0.4 wt % acetic acid, preferably contains lessthan 0.3 wt % water and less than 0.2 wt % acetic acid, and morepreferably contains less than 0.15 wt % water and less than 0.075 wt %acetic acid.

For the purposes of the invention, the terms “light” and “lightcompound” and their plurals refer to a compound or compounds having aboiling point or boiling points below the boiling point of the desiredproduct. For example, water is an example of a light compound when thedesired product is acrylic acid. A lights stream contains at least onelight compound.

Similarly, the term “heavies” for the purposes of the invention meanscompounds having a boiling point above the boiling point of the desiredproduct. Oligomers of acrylic acid and well known Michael additionproducts are examples of heavies when the desired product is acrylicacid.

“Separation system” and like terms refers to the equipment comprisingdehydration and finishing columns and associated equipment, e.g.,condensers, reboilers, piping, pumps, valves, surge tanks, monitors andthe like as described below and/or used in the process of the invention.

“Reaction mixture”, “reaction mass” and like terms means the combinationof materials necessary or ancillary to a reaction, typically underreactive conditions. Over the course of a reaction, a reaction mixtureconverts into a product mixture. Depending upon the moment in time inwhich the reaction mixture is characterized and other factors such aswhether the process is batch or continuous, the physical state of thestarting and product materials, etc., it will or can contain thereactants, catalyst, solvent, processing aids, products, byproducts,impurities and the like.

“Reaction product”, “product mixture” and like terms means thecombination of materials resulting from subjecting a reaction mixture toreaction conditions. A product mixture will always contain some productand/or byproduct and depending upon a multiplicity of factors (e.g.,batch versus continuous, physical state of the starting materials,etc.), it may or may not contain unreacted starting materials, catalyst,solvent, processing aids, impurities, and the like. The typical reactionproduct of the propylene oxidation reaction (the reaction conducted inthe first stage reactor) will contain acrolein, acrylic acid, water,oxygen and unreacted propylene. The typical reaction product of theacrolein oxidation will contain acrylic acid, acetic acid, unreactedacrolein, water and oxygen.

“Reaction conditions” and like terms generally refer to temperature,pressure, reactant concentrations, catalyst concentration, cocatalystconcentration, product and by-product (or solids) content of thereaction mixture (or mass) and/or other conditions that influence theproperties of the resulting product.

“Oxidation conditions” and like terms means the temperature, pressure,reactant concentrations, catalyst concentration, cocatalystconcentration, product and by-product (or solids) content of thereaction mixture (or mass) and/or other conditions necessary to convert,for example, propylene and oxygen to acrolein, or acrolein and oxygen toacrylic acid.

“Coupled, two-tower separation system”, “coupled distillation columns”,“coupled distillation towers” and like terms refers to two distillationtowers or columns connected in a manner such that the tails stream fromthe first column is fed directly or indirectly into the top of thesecond column while the overhead stream of the second column is feddirectly or indirectly into the base of the first column. “Indirectly”means that the stream first passes through at least one other vessel,e.g., a surge tank and/or heat exchanger, before entering the first orsecond column.

The feed stream to the process of the invention preferably is a gaseousreaction product. Preferably, this product results from the two-stepcatalytic vapor phase oxidation of at least one (meth)acrylic acidprecursor, such as propylene in the case of acrylic acid or isobutylenein the case of methacrylic acid. The second step of the oxidationprocess typically converts an intermediate, such as (meth)acrolein, tothe final product. This well-known oxidation process is widely usedcommercially. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,161 B1, the teachings of which areincorporated herein by reference, for a discussion the composition ofthe hot gaseous reaction mixture.

The first step of the process of the invention is to cool the gaseousreaction mixture. The gaseous reaction mixture typically is superheatedas it comes from the reactor system, in other words, it contains moreheat (energy) than the amount of heat required to vaporize the mixture.In one embodiment of the invention, the cooling step removes essentiallythe entire amount of superheat from the gaseous reaction mixture. Forexample, the hot acrylic acid reactor outlet gases and vapors are cooledto less than 260 C (˜500 F) in a shell and tube heat exchanger, and thenenter a quench system where the gases are cooled by direct contact withan acrylic acid containing liquid at a temperature less than 120 C (˜250F), preferably less than 110 C (˜225 F) and more preferably under 100 C(˜212 F). The difference in temperature between the temperature of thebottoms of next distillation column and the temperature of the outletgases and vapors leaving the quench system is less than 28 C (˜50 F),preferably less than 5 C (˜10 F) and more preferably less than 3 C (˜5F).

The cooling step can be conducted directly or indirectly in one or morepieces of equipment. For example, the cooling of the gaseous reactionmixture can be initiated in a quench or flash vessel, or can beintegrated into the bottom of the dehydration column, with or withoutcolumn internals. The quench system may contain one or more spraynozzles in one or more locations to distribute the acrylic acidcontaining quench liquid across the cross sectional area through whichthe hot gases and vapors must pass. The nozzles may be oriented to sprayquench liquid horizontally to the flow path of the hot gases and vapors,or axially in the direction of the flow of the gases and vapors, oragainst the direction of the flow of the gases and vapors, or anycombination of these options. The orientation of the external quenchsystem can be 0-90 degrees relative to the horizontal, preferably 90degrees or vertical with the hot gases and vapors and quench liquidflowing downwards and co-currently towards the dehydration column inlet.The quench system may also contain one or more trays whose type is notparticularly limited or packing or combination of the two. Preferably,the cooling step is initiated or primarily conducted external to thedehydration column.

The acrylic acid containing quench liquid may be comprised of a liquidcirculated from the next distillation tower bottoms, combined with oneor more acrylic acid containing streams filtered to remove insolublesolids, heated in a heat exchanger to control the temperature, andreturned to the quench system. The ratio of the circulated liquid flowrate from the distillation tower bottoms to the combined flow rates ofthe one or more process streams added to the circulated liquid flow ratefrom the distillation tower bottoms is 1:1, preferably 5:1 and morepreferably 9:1.

In its most simple form, the quench system may be a section of pipebefore the pipe enters the dehydration column in which the hot gases andvapors pass through a radial splashing shower of acrylic acid containingliquid accomplished by impinging two opposing axial jets of acrylic acidcontaining liquid in or near the center of the pipe section. Preferably,a target metal plate with a diameter 0.1 to 0.5 times the internaldiameter of the pipe section, preferably 0.2 times the internal diameterof the pipe section, may be located at the center of the two jets andused as an impingement device to create the radial splashing shower ofacrylic acid containing quench liquid. Advantageously, a two-phase flowvapor/liquid disengagement device is provided internal to thedehydration column at a point of entrance for the quenched reactiongases and vapor and quench liquid. This device can be of any design thatwill reduce the velocity of the quenched vapors and gases and quenchliquid, separate the majority of the quench liquid from the cooledreaction vapor and gases, and distribute the majority of the cooledreaction vapors and gases across the cross sectional area of thedehydration column. In its simplest form, it is comprised of animpingement baffle located at the inlet of the dehydration column forthe quenched reaction vapors and gases and the quench liquid.

One unique feature of this purification system is that the feed to thedehydrator is a two phase feed (i.e. gas and liquid). This is the resultof the cooling step. A normal distillation tower has only one phase feed(i.e. a liquid or a gas).

In the process of the invention, the at least partially cooled reactionmixture is dehydrated. The dehydration preferably is conducted in adehydration column. The dehydration column functions to remove themajority of water from the incoming gaseous reaction mixture.Advantageously, the dehydration column is operated such that there is abottoms stream and an overhead stream. In a preferred embodiment of theinvention, at least a portion of the overhead stream is condensed and isreturned as a reflux liquid to the dehydration column.

In one embodiment of the invention, essentially all noncondensibles andlights exit the dehydration column in the overhead stream. Examples ofnoncondensibles present during the production of acrylic acid includenitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and unreactedhydrocarbons such as propane and propylene. Advantageously, the entireoverhead stream is introduced into a condenser, and at least a portionof the lights are condensed and returned to the dehydration column as areflux stream. This condenser can be internal or external to thedehydration column, and it can be of the shell and tube or directcontact type design (e.g., quench cooler). Part of the gas stream fromthe condenser is recycled to the reactors and the remainder is sent toan incinerator. To further recover acrylic acid as a valuable product,the recycle gas can be sent to a condenser before it is fed to thereactors.

The dehydration column functions, at least partially, as a distillationcolumn. However, as noted above, the dehydration column can also serveas a contacting zone for cooling of the gaseous reaction mixture.Preferably, the pressure in the dehydration column is no higher than thepressure of the incoming gaseous reaction mixture. Preferably thetemperature of the bottoms stream from the dehydration column is lessthan about 120° C. The temperature of the overhead stream from thedehydration column is at least about 40° C.

The vent stream from the overhead condenser on the dehydration column isat least partially recycled to the reactor system. In one embodiment ofthe process, a portion of the vent stream is removed from the separationsystem as a purge stream.

The bottoms stream from the dehydration column advantageously is sent toa second column, except that a portion of this stream can be employed tocool the gaseous reaction mixture. In one embodiment of the invention, aportion of the bottoms stream from the dehydration column is sent to aheat exchanger, which can be a reboiler. However, it is noted that theprocess can also be operated under conditions such that the heatexchanger is a cooler, depending on whether the process design requiresheating or cooling. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, aportion of the bottoms stream from the dehydration column is fed to asecond column (also known as a finishing tower). Advantageously, thefeed point is the top of the second column. The second column preferablyis a distillation column and is used in conjunction with a reboiler anda condenser.

The means for conveying the bottom or tails stream from the base of thedehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower, e.g., a pipe, isfitted with a probe (also known as a flow cell) of an on-line, near IRspectrometer (the spectrometer itself typically located apart from thetowers, e.g., in a control room). The probe is fitted on or within thepipe in such a manner that it can contact or otherwise interface withthe tails stream to obtain information as to the water content of thestream. This information is then sent to the spectrometer by anyconvenient means, e.g., fiber optic cable, wireless transmission, etc.,and the spectrometer generates a spectrum of light absorbance versuswavelength. This spectrum allows for the determination of the watercontent of the sampled stream. A signal is generated by the spectrometerbased upon the spectrum, and the signal is sent to the means forcontrolling the operating temperature of the condenser. This means istypically a microprocessor in which the signal is compared against apre-determined setpoint or standard and depending upon the comparison,the operating temperature of the condenser is increased, decreased ormaintained steady. Typically, if the signal is higher or lower than thesetpoint, then the microprocessor sends a signal to the condenser tochange its operating temperature (usually by changing the flow rate ofcooling water through it). If the signal from the spectrometer is thesame as the setpoint, then the microprocessor either does not send asignal to the condenser or it sends a signal that instructs no change tothe operating temperature of the condenser. This mode of operation worksthe same whether the probe is measuring the water, acetic acid oracrylate acid content of the tails stream, the overhead stream of thefinishing tower or the condensed lights stream of the condenser.

As just noted, the near IR water analysis produces a fingerprint of thecurrent composition of the sampled stream in the form of a spectrum oflight absorbance versus wavelength. The analysis for water is made by anon-line, near IR spectrometer in the wavelength range 800-2650nanometers (nm), preferably 1000-2100 nm, to determine a series ofabsorbances that are correlatable to water (or acetic acid or acrylicacid), and then preferably comparing the absorbances, or a function ofthem, or the amount of water (or acetic acid or acrylic acid)corresponding to the absorbance with a desired value, and then adjustingthe separation process based in the comparison to minimize thedifference from the desired value. This adjustment is typically made byadjusting the operating temperature of the condenser that receives theoverhead stream from the dehydrator tower. The wavelength 1000-2100 nmrange also allows for the use of fiber optics to connect the probe tothe spectrometer. The probe or flow cell is placed at the processanalysis point and light is brought to and from the sample point usinglow-hydroxyl silica fiber.

The particular absorbance(s) in the near IR may be in the region of the1000-2650 nm, but it is preferably in the region of 1400-1500 nm,1100-1350 nm or 1600-1700 nm; absorbances are especially preferred inthe 1100-1700 nm region. A single absorbance in the near IR region maybe used, but advantageously the absorbances of least 2 and possibly manyhundreds of wavelengths are chosen. The absorbances may be chosenbecause of known absorption of water at that wavelength or may be chosenstatistically by regression analysis, e.g., partial least squares (PLS)or multi-linear regression MLR because of their correlation with thewater amount. The number of wavelengths chosen is limited in MLR by thenumber of independent calibration standards available, but PLS does nothave this limitation and is therefore the preferred type of regressionanalysis.

The absorbances may be measured on samples of the appropriate stream,these samples being taken from the stream or volume through a pipeacting as a spectroscopy analysis cell, e.g., containing a near IRprobe. Especially, the absorbance may be measured directly on theappropriate stream or volume, e.g., via a probe inserted directly intothe stream or volume, in which case the absorbance is measuredeffectively on-line and in real time. The cell path lengths varyaccording to the wavelength of the absorbance, being, e.g., 2 millimeter(mm) for wavelength of 1600-2650 nm and 5 mm for wavelengths of 800-1500nm. The near IR radiation source and detector in the near IRspectrophotometer may be close to the cell, but are preferably spacedfrom it, e.g., by 1-1000 m in particular 5-100 m, the radiation passingto and from the cell by way of an optical waveguide, e.g., one or moreoptical fibers. The optical fibers transmit the near IR radiation of thechosen wavelength and may consist of zirconium fluoride for wavelengthsof 2000-2650 nm, and silica or glass for lower wavelengths. The absolutesize of the absorption is reduced as the wavelength chosen becomessmaller. Preferably the 1100-2100 nm region is chosen with opticalfibers, e.g., of silica, quartz or glass leading to a spectrophotometer5-100 m away from the cell. The near IR spectrophotometer is preferablyable to scan with a resolution of less than 10 nm, e.g., less than 2 nm.The radiation from source to cell to detector may pass to only one cellor may, via a multiplexer, be passed in parallel to a series of cellswith parallel return to the detector.

The absorbance signal may be converted to a figure for the water contenteither directly by the Beer Lambert Law of absorbance proportional toconcentration of absorbent, if at that wavelength, the simple linearrelationship applies. Otherwise the relationship may be determined bycalibration with if required statistical analysis of the data on thereaction with a variety of water contents (measured independently bystandard means) and hence a variety of absorptions; the statisticalmethods may be by MLR or PLS or other regression techniques. Statisticalanalysis may also be used to determine the optimum wavelength(s) tochoose correlatable to the water content. If desired the absorbance datamay be mathematically processed; functions of the absorbances such asderivatives e.g. first, second or third derivatives may be used in thestatistical analysis. The relationship between absorbance (or functionthereof e.g. derivative) and water content is thus found and may involvemore than one wavelength, with a regression equation having linearterms, quadratic terms and/or reciprocal terms. An example of such anequation is

[Water content]=A _(o) +ΣA _(i)λ_(i)

where A_(o) is a constant and A_(i) is multiplier constant for theabsorbance (or derivative) λ_(i) and i varies from 1 to the number ofwavelengths used.

A similar monitoring scheme can be described in which acrylic acid oracetic acid is determined by near IR. The method is identical to thatdescribed for water, with the exception that the wavelength regions arechosen to optimize the regression equation for the component ofinterest. In addition, the wavelength regions can be chosen to optimizefor the concentration range of the component of interest. The wavelengthregions can also be optimized to minimize interference from othercomponents and the concentration range of these other components alsoaffect the choice of preferred wavelengths.

For example, as previously stated, water can be determined using theentire wavelength range from 1000 nm to 2100 nm. However, optimalwavelength regions are preferred. For water in the concentration range1% w/w to 15% w/w the set of wavelengths composed of the regions1404-1429 nm and 1459-1474 nm are preferred. For water in theconcentration range of 80% w/w to 95% w/w the set of wavelengthscomposed of the regions 1127-1132 nm, 1145-1148 nm, 1330-1347 nm,1684-1695 nm, and 1704-1707 nm are preferred.

As another example, if it is desired to monitor the level of acetic acidand use this concentration in a control scheme, the entire wavelengthrange of 1000-2100 nm can be used. However, an optimal subset of thesewavelengths is preferred. For acetic acid concentrations in the range 1%w/w to 20% w/w, in the presence of water in the range of 1% w/w to 15%w/w/ the set of wavelengths composed of the regions 1260-1263 nm,1271-1274 nm, 1658-1665 nm, 1727-1733 nm, 1736-1745 nm, and 1761-1786 nmis preferred for the determination of acetic acid. For similar aceticacid levels in the presence of water in the concentration range of 80%w/w to 95% w/w, the set of wavelengths composed of the regions 1130-1135nm, 1610-1615 nm, and 1652-1655 nm is preferred.

As another example, acrylic acid concentration may be determined by NIRand its concentration used in a control scheme by using the entirewavelength range of 100-2100 nm in the regression equation. However, anoptimal subset of preferred wavelengths for determination of acrylicacid in the range of 70% w/w to 100% w/w in the presence of water in therange of 1% w/w to 15% w/w is composed of the set of wavelengths in theregion 1617-1680 nm. For determination of acrylic acid in theconcentration range 3% to 7% w/w in the presence of water in the rangeof 80% w/w to 95% w/w the optimum subset of wavelengths composed of theregions 1012-1020 nm, 1580-1621 nm, and 1721-1723 nm is preferred.

In the above calibration determination of the relationship, the reactionconditions e.g. temperature, pressure, feed rate(s), ratios of feeds,space time yield, and analysis of catalyst are kept constant, while thewater content is systematically varied. The conditions must then becontrolled at these conditions for the calibration equation to beapplicable. The calibration equation may as an alternative be determinedwith random variations in the conditions. Calibrations determined inthis manner do not need to have the conditions controlled as long asthey remain within the ranges used for calibration.

With the above prior determination of the relationship, the method ofthe invention may be applied to a reaction under the same conditions, toobtain the absolute water content of the analyzed stream. If theobtained value deviates from the desired value then the rate of wateraddition is adjusted to minimize the difference from that desired value.Deviations are kept usually below 10% from the desired value, inparticular below 5% from that value.

If desired, the absolute water content need not be determined, so longas a function related thereto is obtained and the process controlled tominimize deviations in the value of that function, e.g. with the size ofdeviations as shown above. The deviations may be determined by computerand the adjustments to control the process and minimize it may also bemade by computer.

The spectrometer computer is connected to a microprocessor (otherwiseknown as a process control computer) that receives a water contentsignal from the spectrometer computer and compares it against apredetermined standard. If the signal matches the standard, then themicroprocessor either sends a signal to the condenser that receives theoverhead stream from the dehydration tower to maintain its currentoperating temperature, or it does not send a signal. If the signal doesnot match the standard, then the microprocessor sends a signal to thecondenser to either raise or lower the temperature depending if thewater content signal is reporting too much or too little water in thedehydrated reaction product. The hardware and software for this feedbackloop is well known in the art.

As with any spectroscopic measurement, the medium being analyzed, e.g.,the tails stream from the dehydration tower, is preferably homogeneousfor best results. Placement of the probe is preferably in a positionwhere the stream is without bubbles and the pipe or other vessel isalways full of liquid. Methods exist to minimize the effect ofinhomogeneity, but the better method is to eliminate the inhomogeneityitself, e.g., plumb the probe or flow cell into a slipstream of theprocess. This also allows the probe or flow cell to be easily isolatedfor cleaning or other maintenance.

The second column has two product streams, i.e., a side stream and aresidue stream. The difference between these streams is the heavy endscontent. The two key heavy end components in these streams are theacrylic acid dimer, i.e., Michael addition product, and maleicacid/anhydride. As the take-off ratio of side stream to residue streamincreases, these heavy ends concentrate in the residue stream relativeto the side stream. The residue stream (sometimes referred to as estergrade acrylic acid) is typically unsuitable as a feed to a meltcrystallizer, i.e., a glacial acrylic acid unit, due to the high dimer,inhibitor and maleic acid/anhydride content. This stream, however, canbe used as feed for an acrylate ester unit especially if the ester unitis equipped with a dimer cracker. The dimer cracker unit in a butylacrylate (or other acrylate ester) unit converts most of the dimer backto acrylic acid which is converted into butyl acrylate, i.e., theacrylic content of the dimer is recovered as useable acrylic acid rawmaterial. The maleic acid/anhydride in the residue product reacts withbutanol forming esters which are high boilers and easily removed fromthe butyl acrylate product in the purification train. For esters such asmethyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate, the cracking of the dimer can bedone in situ by providing sufficient residence time and temperature inthe reactor volume in the base of the reaction/esterification tower.

The side stream material which is referred to as technical grade acrylicacid can be fed to a melt crystallizer unit for glacial acrylic acidproduction or used as feed to any acrylate ester unit. One processenhancement for the finishing tower is to equip its reboilerrecirculation loop with a dimer cracker. In this scenario the crackerresidue stream is very concentrated and most (>95%) of the acrylic acidproduct is taken as the side stream product (i.e. technical gradeacrylic acid). The highly concentrated residue stream from the crackercan then be incinerated to regain fuel value.

In one embodiment the overhead stream from the second column is sent toa condenser. Preferably, the condenser is operated as a “totalcondenser” in that essentially the entire overhead stream is condensed.However, it is possible to remove a purge stream of noncondensiblecompounds from this condenser. Advantageously, the condensate from thesecond column condenser is used to cool the reaction gas mixture, eitheras is or after additional heat exchange.

The bottoms stream from the second column advantageously is at leastpartially sent to the second column reboiler. The remainder of thebottoms stream can be incinerated or can be further treated according toknown methods; for example, the bottoms stream can be sent to anacrylates ester production unit or can be subjected to a cracking stepin which Michael addition compounds are treated to recover acrylic acid,which can then be recycled. In one embodiment the bottoms streamcontains the majority of the acrylic acid to be recovered from theprocess. However, in a preferred embodiment the majority of acrylic acidis recovered from a side draw stream from the second column.

In view of the fact that the side stream is in the second column, theseparation process removes product acrylic acid at a point below thepoint where the gaseous reaction product is fed to the separationsystem, i.e. the product stream is removed below the feed in theseparation system.

The temperature and pressure in the second column are not particularlycritical, and can be determined according to design considerationswell-known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the second column isoperated below the operating pressure of the dehydration column.Preferably, the second column is operated at subatmospheric conditions.This has the advantage of allowing the second column to operate at lowertemperatures, thereby minimizing undesired dimer, oligomer and/orpolymer formation. Advantageously, the temperature of the overheadstream as it leaves the second column is from 40 to 90° C. whenproducing acrylic acid and operating the second column at a headpressure of from 40 to 500 mm Hg. The temperature of the bottoms streamfrom the second column advantageously is from 60 to 120° C. whenproducing acrylic acid.

The design details of the dehydration column and of the second column,including their operating conditions such as temperatures, pressures,flow rates, equipment sizing including column height and diameters,choice of materials of construction, arrangement and choice of type ofauxiliary equipment such as heat exchangers and pumps, choice andarrangement of column internals, and location of piping includingtake-off streams, can readily be determined by those skilled in the artaccording to well-known design considerations. Examples of distillationcolumn configurations that can be used in the process of the inventioninclude, for example, packed columns, tray columns, divided wallcolumns, multi-stage devolatilizers, and the like. Any type of tray canbe employed, including bubble trays, valve trays, cross flow trays, dualflow trays, and combinations thereof. Similarly, if packing is employed,any type of packing can be used, including randomly- or regularly-spacedpacking. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dehydrationcolumn comprises packing in its upper section and trays in the lowersection. The lower section provides for direct cooling of the incominggaseous reaction mixture. The number of theoretical stages for thedehydrator and finishing columns are not specifically limited.Preferably 5 to 50 theoretical stages for the dehydrator are used, andmore preferably 20 to 30 theoretical stages. Preferably 5 to 30theoretical stages are used for the finishing column, more preferably 8to 20 theoretical stages. Surge tanks optionally can be employed withinthe separation system such as, for example, at one or more locationsbetween the dehydration column and the second column as shown in FIG. 5.

In a preferred embodiment the process equipment is at least partiallyconstructed using copper or copper-containing alloys, such as variousalloys sold under the mark Monel™. These and other copper-containingalloys provide polymer inhibition for acrylic acid as a result of copperdissolution in the presence of air. Unfortunately, the corrosion rate inthe presence of hot streams containing maleic acid is too high forpractical commercial use of these alloys in the finishing column.However, the upper section of the dehydrator is essentially free ofmaleic acid (due to its high boiling point) and this region of thedehydrator can use trays or packing constructed from Monel™copper-containing alloys as part of a fouling abatement scheme. The useof such packing in this region of the dehydrator provides aself-inhibiting surface which helps alleviate fouling potential due topoor inhibitor distribution in the packing. Other metals, such asstainless steel including 316 stainless steel, can also be employed asthe material(s) of construction for the process equipment by usingcriteria well known to those skilled in the art.

The use of inhibitors is preferred in the process regardless of thechoice of materials of construction. Various compounds are well known toinhibit the reaction of acrylic acid, and are commercially available.Examples of preferred inhibitors include soluble manganese ions, solublecopper ions, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) and relatedcompounds such as 4-hydroxy TEMPO. Combinations of inhibitors can beemployed. In a preferred embodiment a mixture of a source of solublemanganese ions, such as manganese acetate, and 4-hydroxy TEMPO areemployed in the dehydration column as an inhibitor. 4-hydroxyTEMPO/manganese acetate is also the preferred inhibitor for the secondcolumn. An alternate inhibitor system that could be used in both columnsis hydroquinone/manganese acetate. Molecular oxygen or air is preferablyemployed in the second column because oxygen is a known inhibitor. Theinhibitor is employed in an amount sufficient to prevent or reduce thepolymerization of acrylic acid, as is well known to those skilled in theart. Air injection is only required for the second column because thereaction gases fed to the dehydrator already contain oxygen in an amountsufficient for the inhibitor system. Typically, sufficient air isinjected such that oxygen is present in the column in an amount of atleast 0.1 volume percent relative to the amount of vapor in the column.

One technique frequently used industrially to minimize inhibitor cost isto recycle streams that have a high inhibitor concentration. In oneembodiment the inhibitor is concentrated in the residue stream of thesecond column. Accordingly, a portion of this stream can be recycled toeither or both the overhead of the dehydrator and/or the overhead of thesecond column.

Advantageously, an acrylic acid product stream is recovered from thesecond column as a side draw stream. The location of the side draw onthe second column is a matter of design preference, and can bedetermined using design techniques well-known to those skilled in theart. Preferably, this point of removal is below the feed tray and 2 or 3theoretical stages above the reboiler. The trays may be of any styledesign such as cross-flow or dual flow or any combination of the two.This process also works with packing or any combination of trays andpacking. The acrylic acid product is removed from the side of thedistillation tower as predominantly a vapor or a liquid. The apparatusfor collecting the side stream is comprised of a nozzle and avapor-liquid separation space where most liquid is separated by gravityfrom the vapor with or without an internal vapor or liquid collector.The liquid or vapor collector may comprise a pipe with one or moreperforations, an inverted funnel, a funnel, a downcomer, a hat tray, animpingement baffle, a liquid distributor, a liquid collector, a baffleor any combination of these. The weight ratio of the side draw to bottomstream is preferably 75:25, or more preferably 95:5. However,advantageously, the side draw to bottom stream weight ratio can also bedesigned by one skilled in the art to be 25:75 or even 5:95. In afurther embodiment, no side draw is taken and the entire acrylic acidproduct is taken in the bottoms stream. As a practical matter, the sidestream is typically of better quality than the tails, i.e., the sidestream contains less heavy components than does the tails.

One surprising advantage of the process is that the product stream isproduced in high purity by a process that does not require an azeotropicsolvent or other solvent. For example, the product stream advantageouslycontains at least about 98.5% acrylic acid by weight, preferablycontains at least about 99% acrylic acid, and more preferably at leastabout 99.5% acrylic acid. Advantageously the product stream containsless than about 0.5% water and less than about 0.4% acetic acid,preferably contains less than about 0.3% water and less than about 0.2%acetic acid, and more preferably contains less than about 0.15% waterand less than about 0.075% acetic acid. The process preferably canproduce a product stream that is usable as technical grade acrylic acidwithout further separation processing.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1,hot, gaseous reaction product feed stream 1 containing acrylic acid isintroduced into the lower area of dehydration column (or tower) 10. Uponentering the dehydration column, the reaction product is contacted with,and cooled by, liquid 11 supplied from heat exchanger 12, which can be acooler or a heater, but preferably is a heater. The contacting cancomprise spraying, feeding the cooling liquid to a distillation tray orpacking through which the hot reaction gaseous mixture rises, or acombination of these. The partially cooled reaction product flows up thedehydration column through internals (not shown) which can be trays orpacking of any configuration, as is well known to those skilled in theart. As the cooled reaction product gas flows upward, it is contactedwith a reflux liquid comprising condensed lights 7 from condenser 13.Gases and vapors that are not condensed in condenser 13 exit thecondenser via condenser overhead stream 2, which is then split intorecycle gas stream 14 and vent stream 15. Accordingly, the dehydrationcolumn functions to remove the majority of acrylic acid from reactionproduct feed stream 1, and to send the recovered acrylic acid viabottoms stream 16 for further treatment.

A portion of bottoms stream 16 from the dehydration tower is fed to apoint near the top of second column (or finishing tower) 17 via secondcolumn feed stream 3. Another portion of bottoms stream 16 is fed toheat exchanger 12 via heat exchanger feed stream 20 and thus isrecirculated to the dehydration column and is employed to cool theincoming hot reaction gas mixture. Either before or after junction 25 atwhich bottoms stream 16 is split, the pipe carrying bottoms stream 16can be equipped with near IR probe 26 which is, in turn, connected byany conventional means (not shown) to a near IR spectrometer (notshown).

More than one near IR probe 26 can be used in the coupled, two-towerseparation system and if more than one such probe is used, then theadditional probe(s) is/are usually fitted to one or both of the pipesthat carry condensed lights stream 7 and condensed overhead stream 4,respectively. Alternatively, IR probe 26 can be fitted to one or both ofthese other pipes to the exclusion of the pipe that carries bottomsstreams 16. If near IR probe 26 is fitted to more than one of thesepipes, then typically the signal from only one of the probes is used tocreate a signal that is sent to condenser 13 to control its operatingtemperature, and this probe is typically the probe that is monitoringthe water content of bottoms stream 16. The other probes monitor thewater content of the streams with which they interface, but the signalfrom these probes are not used to create a signal to condenser 13 forthe purpose of controlling its operating temperature.

The liquid from second column feed stream 3 flows downward in the secondcolumn where it is contacted with rising vapors from reboiler 18. Thesecond column preferably is a distillation column. The configuration ofthe distillation column is not particularly critical, and the column canbe designed using criteria well known to those skilled in the art. Vaporphase overhead stream 8 from the second column is introduced intocondenser 19, where the majority of the overhead stream is condensed. Asmall purge stream (not shown) of noncondensibles passes out ofcondenser 19 as a vent stream, which can be disposed of, recycled, orotherwise handled. Condensed liquid from condenser 19 is sent viacondensed liquid stream 4 to heat exchanger 12, and then is sent to thedehydration column via cooling liquid stream 11 to cool the gaseousreaction mixture of stream 1. A portion of second column bottoms stream9 is recirculated to the second column via reboiler 18. The remainder ofbottoms stream 9 flows via residual stream 6 for further treatment,disposal, or a combination of these. For example, residual stream 6 canbe sent to an esters unit, to a cracking unit, or to a combination ofthese.

Acrylic acid product stream 5 is taken from the second column as a sidedraw. The stream preferably is a vapor stream, but can be a liquidstream.

FIG. 2 shows a variation of FIG. 1 in which the cooling of gaseousreaction product 1 is conducted primarily in a separate vessel prior tothe dehydration column. In this embodiment, reaction gas mixture 1enters spray cooler 21, and cooled reaction gas 22 is removed from thecooler and passed to the dehydration column for processing. In thisembodiment, heater/reboiler (heat exchanger) 12 is relocated and fittedwithin the process scheme so as to receive dehydration column bottomsstream 20, and stream 4 from condenser 19 as feed streams.

FIG. 3 shows a variation on FIG. 2 in which heater/reboiler 12 retainsthe same position that it has in FIG. 1, and the feed streams 23 tospray cooler 21 is now only a portion of dehydration column bottomsstream 16. The size of streams 16, 23, 20 and 4 can vary, usually withthe size of stream 23 the largest. In this variation, reaction productgas stream 1 is subjected to a stepped cooling process, the first stepoccurring in spray cooler 21 and the next step in dehydration column 10,i.e., cooled reaction product gas stream 22 subjected to further coolingfrom liquid 11.

FIG. 4 shows yet another variation on FIG. 2 in which twoheater/reboilers are employed, i.e., heater/reboilers 12 a and 12 b. Theheater/reboilers can be the same or different in size and/or design, andheater/reboiler 12 a is positioned and connected in essentially the samemanner as heater/reboiler 12 in FIG. 1, and heater/reboiler 12 b ispositioned and connected in essentially the same manner asheater/reboiler 12 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows still another variation on FIG. 2, and in this instancesurge tank 24 is positioned between dehydration tower 10 and finishingtower 17. The position of heater/reboiler 12 relative to spray cooler 21varies from FIG. 2, but provides essentially the same function, i.e., toat least partially cool the hot, gaseous reaction product stream 1before it enters into and is processed within dehydration column 10.Surge tank 24 is positioned such that it can receive a stream ofdehydration column bottoms in times of excess flow, and then hold and/orpass these excess bottoms to finishing tower 17 for further processing.

One further embodiment (not shown in FIG. 5) comprises passing at leasta portion of the bottoms from the dehydration column through at leastone cooler prior to entering the surge tank. Furthermore at least aportion of the stream from the surge tank is passed through at least onepre-heater prior to entering the second column. Advantageously the atleast one cooler and the at least one heater can be the same device(i.e., a process-to-process heat exchanger).

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail by thepreceding examples and references to the drawings, this detail is forthe purpose of illustration and is not to be construed as a limitationupon the spirit and scope of the invention as it is described in theappended claims.

1. A method for controlling the operation of a first distillation towerthat is part of a coupled, two-tower system for the purification of(meth)acrylic acid, the method comprising the steps of: A. Creating anelectronic signal from an on-line, near infrared (IR) spectrometer, thesignal based on at least one of the water, acetic acid and (meth)acrylicacid content of at least one of (i) a tails stream from the base of thefirst distillation tower, (ii) a condensed lights stream from acondenser coupled to and which receives an overhead stream from thefirst distillation tower, and (iii) an overhead stream from a seconddistillation tower that is coupled to and receives the tails stream fromthe first distillation tower; B. Sending the electronic signal createdin (A) to a means for controlling the operating temperature of thecondenser that is coupled to the first distillation tower; and C.Increasing, decreasing or maintaining the operating temperature of thecondenser based on the signal created in (A).
 2. The method of claim 1in which the means for controlling the operating temperature of thecondenser comprises a microprocessor that (i) receives the signalcreated in (A), (ii) compares the signal against a pre-determinedsetpoint, and (iii) if the signal is different than the set point, thencreates and sends a signal to the condenser that effects a change in theoperating temperature of the condenser.
 3. The method of claim 2 inwhich the electronic signal created in (A) is based on the water contentof at least one of (i) the tails stream from the base of the firstdistillation tower, and (ii) the overhead stream from the seconddistillation tower.
 4. The method of claim 2 in which the electronicsignal created in (A) is based on the (meth)acrylic acid content of thecondensed lights stream from the condenser.
 5. The method of claim 2 inwhich the condenser is operated at a temperature such that the watercontent of the tails stream from the base of the first distillationtower and the overhead stream from the second distillation tower ismaintained at 1 to 15 weight percent (wt %).
 6. The method of claim 2 inwhich the condenser is operated at a temperature such that the(meth)acrylic acid content of the condensed lights stream from thecondenser is maintained in a range of 1 to 10 weight percent (wt %). 7.A process of producing technical grade (meth)acrylic acid from ahydrated, gaseous reaction product obtained from the gas-phase oxidationof at least one (meth)acrylic acid precursor, the process comprising thesteps of: A. Cooling the gaseous reaction product; B. Dehydrating thecooled gaseous reaction product in a first distillation tower to producea gaseous overhead stream and a liquid tails stream; C. At leastpartially condensing the gaseous overhead stream in a condenser havingan operating temperature to form a condensate, and returning at least aportion of the condensate to the first distillation tower; D. Creatingan electronic signal from an on-line, near infrared (IR) spectrometer,the signal based on at least one of the water, acetic acid and(meth)acrylic acid content of at least one of (i) a tails stream fromthe base of the first distillation tower, (ii) a condensed lights streamfrom a condenser coupled to and which receives an overhead stream fromthe first distillation tower, and (iii) an overhead stream from a seconddistillation tower that is coupled to and receives the tails stream fromthe first distillation tower; E. Sending the electronic signal createdin (D) to a means for controlling the operating temperature of thecondenser that is coupled to and receives the overhead stream from thefirst distillation tower; and F. Increasing, decreasing or maintainingthe operating temperature of the condenser based on the signal createdin (D).
 8. A coupled, two-tower system for the dehydration of a reactionproduct obtained from the gas-phase oxidation of at least one(meth)acrylic acid precursor, the system comprising (A) a firstdistillation tower equipped with a base and top, (B) a condenser coupledto and in open communication with the top of the dehydration tower, thecondenser equipped with means for controlling its operating temperature,(C) a second distillation tower equipped with a top, (D) means fortransferring dehydrated reaction product from the base of thedehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower, and (E) a near IRspectrometer comprising a probe or flow cell positioned on or within themeans for transferring dehydrated product from the base of thedehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower.
 9. The coupled,two-tower separation system of claim 8 in which the means fortransferring dehydrated reaction product from the base of thedehydration tower to the top of the finishing tower is a pipe.
 10. Thecoupled two-tower system of claim 9 in which the condenser is ashell-tube condenser or a quench condenser.